A man who tried to cash a stolen check at a Lawrence bank on Thursday and who was involved in two car accidents while fleeing police remains at large.

Police believe the check was stolen, along with a gun, from a Tonganoxie home during a burglary earlier that day, according to Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman. The man was reported to police while he was trying to cash the check at First State Bank and Trust, 3901 West Sixth St., about 5 p.m. Thursday, but left in a white Chrysler Town and Country van before police arrived. Officers spotted the van near Bob Billings Parkway and Kasold Drive and pursued it toward West Ninth Street.

Police ended the chase after the van was involved in a collision with another vehicle at Ninth and Pamela Lane, McKinley said. From there, the van was involved in a second accident with a vehicle at Sixth and Vermont. The driver left the scene of that accident and was reportedly seen headed east on U.S. Highway 24. No injuries were reported from those accidents.

Police describe the suspect as a white male, 6 feet tall and 260 pounds, with brown hair. They think he is in his mid-40s or mid-50s, and was last seen wearing a dark "Kansas" baseball cap, sunglasses and a red or maroon shirt.

Anyone with information on these crimes is asked to call the Lawrence Police Department at (785)-832-7509 or CrimeStoppers at 843-TIPS (8477).

This chase went in front of my house on Lawrence Ave. At the speeds they (the perp and the one police car following) were traveling it was a very dangerous situation. They headed E on 9th towards Sunset Hill. I'm guessing they called it off due to the threat to the general public, a decision that in my opinion should have happened sooner than it did.

The only problem with them calling it off, was he continued to drive at high rates of speed and dangerously. He caused another accident and that driver probably had no warning. I would rather have the police behind him with lights and sirens on, and hopefully they could end it, than have a guy running 90+ down 6th and no warning at all!!

The problem with continuing the pursuit is that once the patrol car is moving at high speed its siren can't be heard far enough ahead to alert other drivers; the distance closes too fast. So now you've got not one but two vehicles flying down city streets at 90mph, and both vehicles pose a life ending threat to non-involved drivers who aren't expecting their sudden appearance. For patrol officers it's frustrating to the max, having to disengage from a pursuit. But in town it's definitely the safest thing to do. The drivers being pursued get caught eventually, usually.